Story Time with NDK: The Perfect Pillow

A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin' wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney 🙂 Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life - A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects - create~inspire~share.

**Disclosure – I received these books for review purposes from the Disney Book Group. All opinions are my own.

Story time is always a favorite in this Neurotic Disney home. NDK (Neurotic Disney Kid) is old enough to read, but not too old to still be read to! Books are wonderful on so many levels. We keep them everywhere – even in the car! Disney Books are a great way to keep Disney at home. Disney Book Group was kind enough to send these books for NDK approval – be sure to look for the NDK Review after the description of each book!

My NDK(Neurotic Disney Kid) is growing up way too fast. But not so fast that she can still appreciate a wonderful bedtime story. She was also given the chance to interview the author of The Perfect Pillow, Eric Pinder. Please be sure to read her thoughtful review and check out her interview below the review.

The Perfect Pillow is in stores now – perfect for any Easter basket!

The Perfect Pillow by Eric Pinder

Are you looking for the perfect bedtime story? The Perfect Pillow is the book for you! The Perfect Pillow by Eric Pinder and illustrated by Chris Sheban is about a little boy, his stuffed dragon and the family’s brand new house. Having a new house can be scary, and the little boy is having trouble getting comfortable in his new bed, in his new room. He grabs his dragon friend and sets off on an adventure to find the “perfect pillow” so he can be comfortable.

This adventure takes him everywhere, and his imagination brings everything to life. Eventually, he realizes that no other place is “perfect” but his own home. He heads back to his new room, cuddles up with his dragon friend and realizes that he had the perfect pillow all along – his dragon friend!

I really liked this story because it was a sweet friendship story between a boy and his dragon. I understand how he felt about his dragon. I have a very well-loved stuffed animal also, my dog Fluffy. When I was little, Fluffy would help me feel better when I was scared or not feeling good. Fluffy and I have had many secret conversations. Fluffy has helped me fall asleep many nights and been a perfect pillow for me. This book reminds me of all the wonderful nights I have shared with my special friend.

If your child has a special stuffed friend, this will be a perfect bedtime story.

I was lucky enough to have the chance to interview Mr. Eric Pinder, the author of The Perfect Pillow. Mr. Pinder writes books for children and adults. He likes to write about weather and animals. He also teaches creative writing at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. I want to be an author one day, so I was very excited to ask Mr. Pinder these questions! I’d like to thank Mr. Pinder for taking the time to answer my questions(in bold print). I am really looking forward to his upcoming chapter book!

The Perfect Pillow was a really cute book. I think a lot of little children will like this book at bedtime. I also read Cat in the Clouds. It was a really good book. You should write chapter books for kids my age about animals!

Thanks! Actually, I’m working on a chapter book right now, and it does feature animals, including some surprising ones.

What inspired you to write The Perfect Pillow?

After writing a couple of books with bears, it seemed time to try a dragon—a friendly dragon, in this case! I also wanted to explore the theme of change. Change is difficult for many people. A new room, a new house, a new school—those kinds of changes can be exciting but also a little scary at first. It takes a while to get used to new things. So I had that theme in mind while writing The Perfect Pillow.

As a kid, did you want to be an author?

Yes! For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to write books. It was so much fun to read about hobbits and dragons and rabbits and outer space that it made me want to create my own worlds and characters someday, too. My first whole “book” was written for class in fourth grade. We all wrote and made short books with construction paper and glue. I think mine was a science fiction story set on the moon. (Along with wanting to be an author as a kid, I also wanted to be an astronaut.)

I am 10 years old and love to read. What was your favorite book when you were 10?

The Hobbit and A Wrinkle in Time both fired up my imagination. Another book that really resonated with me and made me think was Sinbad and Me, a mystery novel full of puzzles and emotion and a really great dog. I read and reread all three of those books when I was 10. It’s always hard picking a favorite, but it’s definitely one of those three.

I also read Cat in the Clouds. It was a great story! Was it a true story? And was this your first children’s book?

Thank you! Yes, that’s a true story about Nin, the world’s friendliest, most curious cat. Nin lived at a mountaintop observatory that’s famous for having the world’s worst weather. I think every workplace should have a cat. Nin used to curl up at the edge of my desk and keep me company while I worked there. Everyone kept saying, “You should write about the cat!” So that became my very first children’s book.

I read that you also write books for adults. Do you like writing children’s books better than adult books?

What I like best about writing children’s books, especially picture books, is playing with the sounds of words. It’s sort of like using words as musical instruments. Even if a picture book doesn’t rhyme, there still needs to be a rhythm to the sentences, and sometimes sound effects and onomatopoeia: words like “crash!” and “zoom!” and “ssh!” Writing picture books is a bit like writing poetry, because they both get read aloud, performed by the reader.

I want to be an author when I grow up. What advice would you give me?

The best thing to do if you want to be a writer is read, read, read. Every writer I know loves to read. We tend to run out spaces on the bookshelves, so books start piling up on the floor. But we keep buying and reading more. It’s also good to try writing at least a little every day, even if some days it’s only a paragraph. It’s a bit like practicing a musical instrument: the more we write, the better we get at it. Definitely keep writing! I look forward to reading your future books. Thank you for the great questions!

Maria H. (ndm#130)

A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin' wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney :) Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life - A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects - create~inspire~share.